politics

The White House has confirmed discussions about naming the Washington Commanders' planned new stadium after President Trump, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating it would be appropriate recognition of his role in facilitating the $3.7 billion project at the former RFK Stadium site. Unlike typical NFL stadiums whose naming rights are sold to corporate sponsors for substantial fees, Trump reportedly wants the venue named as a tribute to his efforts rather than through a purchased arrangement. The president may announce this intention during Sunday's Commanders game, where he is expected to attend halftime ceremonies honoring veterans. This potential naming would join Trump's broader efforts to establish permanent markers in Washington, including White House renovations and other proposed monuments bearing his name. # Key Takeaways

Approximately 42 million low-income Americans face losing their SNAP food assistance benefits if the government shutdown continues past Saturday, marking the first-ever disruption to the program since its modern inception in the 1960s. Republicans controlling Congress and the White House want Democrats to approve temporary funding through a continuing resolution, while Democrats refuse to surrender their negotiating leverage on Affordable Care Act subsidies affecting 24 million people without broader healthcare discussions. Although bipartisan standalone SNAP bills have been introduced in the Senate and twenty-five Democratic-led states have sued the USDA to force the release of $5 billion in contingency funds, Senate leadership has not committed to voting on these measures. Several states have pledged their own funds to temporarily cover benefits, though experts warn these state contributions would only sustain the program for days or weeks at most.

John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges related to mishandling classified information. Prosecutors allege Bolton shared sensitive materials through personal messaging apps and email, including what they describe as "diary-like entries" containing intelligence about foreign threats and policy relations. The 76-year-old Bolton, who has become one of Trump's most vocal critics after leaving the White House, claims his actions were lawful and that he is being targeted through a weaponized Justice Department. This case follows previous scrutiny of Bolton's handling of classified information dating back to 2020 when he published a memoir about his time in the Trump administration.

John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly transmitting and retaining classified national defense information. The 26-page indictment filed in Maryland accuses Bolton of sharing top-secret information through personal email and messaging apps, with prosecutors claiming he sent sensitive documents to family members that contained intelligence about attacks, adversaries, and foreign policy. Bolton, who maintains his innocence, faces 18 counts total and could receive up to 10 years in prison per charge if convicted. This indictment makes Bolton the third Trump critic to face criminal charges in recent weeks, following legal actions against New York City Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey.

President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy troops to Baltimore amid an escalating dispute with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who invited Trump to join a "safety walk" in the city. This confrontation is part of Trump's broader initiative to send National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities as a crime-fighting measure, which has already resulted in approximately 2,000 troops in Washington DC. Democratic leaders have strongly criticized this approach, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker calling it an "abuse of power" and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioning Trump's legal authority for such deployments. Despite Trump's claims that his intervention has brought "total safety" to Washington DC, official crime statistics show violent offenses had already been declining significantly before the deployment.

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been sentenced to life without parole for the rape and murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old American mother of five, on a Maryland hiking trail in August 2023. The court heard that Martinez-Hernandez assaulted Morin, bludgeoned her with rocks, strangled her, and hid her body in a drainage culvert before being arrested in June 2024 after a 10-month manhunt. Judge Yolanda Curtin imposed multiple sentences including life for first-degree murder, life for rape, and an additional 40 years for other offenses, which will be served in a Maryland prison. The case gained national attention during the presidential campaign when Donald Trump highlighted it to support his border security policies, with the Morin family subsequently becoming advocates for stricter border control.

The US Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador's Cecot prison, must be returned to the US, declining to block a lower court's order to "facilitate and effectuate" his return while also directing Judge Paula Xinis to clarify the extent of her authority in the matter. Following the 9-0 ruling, Judge Xinis has requested that the Trump administration explain by Friday morning how they will return Garcia to the US, though government lawyers have filed a motion to extend this deadline to Tuesday evening. The government has conceded that Garcia, who had previously been granted protection from deportation by an immigration judge due to potential persecution risks in his home country, was deported due to an "administrative error," though they also allege he is a member of the MS-13 gang, which his lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg denies. Additional complications have arisen as a Maryland court clerk found that the justice department attorneys who filed the deadline extension motion are not registered to practice law in Maryland, creating uncertainty about Friday's scheduled court hearing.